Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 218
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
218. Hall of Winners (3)
“Mister! Han Chul! Target as planned!”
It was a prearranged code phrase. The moment I called out the names and stated the target, we would unleash our hidden trump card.
“Now?”
“Yes!”
There were no follow-up questions to such a confident answer. Mister nodded firmly. Han Chul couldn’t respond—the enemy was simply too formidable.
The Sword Guardian, pressing forward with S-rank swordsmanship, was on an entirely different level from Liu Zhen, even from what I’d glimpsed.
But he seemed to understand the code. His stance shifted subtly.
I could see intensity kindle in his eyes. He appeared to be gauging the moment to unleash his Crimson Devastation.
“Confirmed! Full charge!”
“Yes! I’ll give the signal, Han Chul!”
Mister began preparing the Dragon Scale Pierce. Since it required time, the situation continued exactly as before for a moment.
Han Chul, who had been focused on defense, now pushed forward with slightly more aggression. Even accepting the risk of injury.
The opponent seemed to sense that Mister was no ordinary threat. It was partly because of the charging skill, and partly because Min-jae and I were pressing forward roughly.
That was my intention. To make Mister’s preparation appear as our hidden move.
“…!”
The Previous Previous Master’s lips moved rapidly, and my intention had succeeded to some degree. The Previous Previous Master’s magic concentrated on Mister.
Since the skill itself was the same, they were wary of its destructive power. But it didn’t matter. That wasn’t my real target.
-Boom! Bang!
-Whoosh!
Min-jae intercepted and Shin-hee blocked with a protective barrier. And finally, the Dragon Scale Pierce was ready.
The destructive power of a full charge exceeded imagination, but I couldn’t afford great expectations at this moment.
I had to remember that the opponent also possessed a Subspace. It was the aspect I’d kept most in mind while preparing for this battle.
Just as I’d found success with Subspace, so would they. In other words, this was a distraction.
-Whoosh!
It wasn’t only Mister who drew aggro. I too gripped a flame talisman in my hand. Rough flames erupted from my fingertips.
It was a different usage method than usual. I composed a massive inferno and launched it toward the Martial Artist.
“Mister!”
“Got it!”
-Boom!
-Whoooosh!
Nearly simultaneously, Mister’s Dragon Scale Pierce and a sphere of roaring flames shot forth.
Each targeted a different enemy—one aimed at the Previous Previous Master’s rear, the other at the Martial Artist.
‘Either way works.’
If the opponent tried to block with a barrier, it would break through. If they tried to block with Subspace, the plan would unfold perfectly.
-Whooom!
And the Previous Previous Master’s choice was Subspace. Two Subspaces materialized—one before them, one before the Martial Artist.
“Han Chul!”
I shouted toward Han Chul.
The roaring flames and Mister’s Dragon Scale Pierce were futilely blocked by the Subspaces, but that didn’t matter. This was the real move.
-Crash!
And at the precise moment I’d anticipated, Han Chul unleashed Calamity Burst against the Sword Guardian.
“…!”
Close range. A perfect instant, timed to when the Sword Guardian was drawing his blade.
The Sword Guardian reacted, but just barely too late. The light was about to engulf him.
-Whoosh!
In that instant, a barrier materialized before him. Both Han Chul, who’d cast from point-blank range, and I couldn’t help but be startled.
‘Is this the Previous Previous Master? How did he react?’
I’d used Dragon Piercing Spear and Scorching Flame to divert the Previous Previous Master’s attention, and his defense was remarkably solid.
No, at this speed, it wasn’t a reaction at all. He must have predicted it beforehand.
It seemed he’d assumed we had some trick up our sleeves and had set up insurance accordingly.
His awareness of the battlefield was excellent, and his magic casting was remarkably swift.
-Crash!
However, Calamity Burst gathered to its limit was powerful enough to send the Butcher from the Temple of Slaughter down in a single strike.
A single protective barrier laid down as mere insurance was nowhere near sufficient.
-Shatter!
As the light of Calamity Burst made contact, the barrier enveloping the Sword Guardian shattered instantly. Two more barriers materialized in a flash.
This wasn’t the Previous Previous Master’s doing. The color looked familiar—protective amulet-type items.
-Crack!
It didn’t matter. The power of Calamity Burst was something even I couldn’t guarantee. The same held true for the Sword Guardian.
Piercing through three layers of barriers, Calamity Burst struck the Sword Guardian directly.
-Screech!
The impact was decisive. Multiple parts of the Sword Guardian’s upper body split open simultaneously as if cleaved by a blade. Blood sprayed in all directions.
Still, thanks to the three layers of barriers, his upper body didn’t vanish entirely like the Butcher’s had.
It was as I’d anticipated. Since this was a time before Chun-bae existed, I didn’t know the enemies’ items precisely, but….
Beings of this caliber surely possessed such artifacts.
-Whoosh!
This moment was exactly what I’d been aiming for. I swung Esirel toward the Martial Artist. He blocked with his gauntlets.
It didn’t matter. My target was never the Martial Artist to begin with. I used Leap just before the blade made contact.
-Snap!
Since I’d never demonstrated my Leap before, my opponent had no means to respond.
The bleeding Sword Guardian was right before my eyes.
I leaped in the exact opposite direction from his sword hand. To make any counteraction even slightly more difficult.
Since he was in the middle of swinging, Esirel was already inches away.
-Slice!
And thus….
The Guardian’s head flew. A path to victory had appeared, and I executed it flawlessly. The operation was a success.
* * *
“That’s it!”
Choi Chul-gi, who’d been watching, let out a cheer. The Sword Guardian had fallen. Four remained. For the Dragon Guild, it was a moment to catch their breath.
Assuming the opponent also possessed a Subspace, I had practiced combining hidden moves in preparation.
Since there was a time lag in opening and closing the Subspace, the key was timing it precisely.
As the results matched our practice, smiles bloomed on the faces of the Dragon Guild members.
“That’s one less thing to worry about.”
Seo Min-jae, who had been blocking the Previous Previous Master’s magic, exhaled deeply. Now that we had numerical superiority, things should improve slightly.
The Sword Guardian fell, and a brief lull descended upon the battlefield. It was because the Martial Artist had taken a step back.
‘I’m a bit disappointed, though.’
That was Han Hye’s honest sentiment. Facing S-rank swordsmanship was an experience one couldn’t easily find elsewhere.
Hadn’t I gained much from my sparring with Liu Zhen as well?
In a different Gate, I would have defeated other enemies and accumulated experience, but… this Gate made that difficult.
One misstep, and we would be the ones taking damage first.
“….”
Perhaps because The God had intervened. Even with the Sword Guardian fallen, the opponent showed no emotional change.
Instead, the Martial Artist stood guard at the front while three rear-guard members remained vigilant against us.
Han Hye felt a slight sense of regret watching the emotionless Previous Previous Master, unlike before. But this was inside a Gate.
What I could do was clear this Gate quickly. First, I checked on Kim Han-chul.
“How is your body?”
“I’m fine.”
Though I had sustained wounds in various places from the Sword Guardian, they weren’t serious. Kim Han-chul smiled reassuringly.
“Please handle the Martial Artist.”
“Yes. Leave it to me.”
Four versus five.
Now victory belonged to the Dragon Guild. All we needed was for Kim Han-chul to engage the Martial Artist while the rest targeted the rear guard.
The opponent still showed little reaction. They merely stared at us with an expression like that of the half-dead.
After receiving healing and catching his breath once, Kim Han-chul charged forward. The Martial Artist moved to meet him.
“Here I come!”
What changed after the Sword Guardian’s death was that the Previous Previous Master’s incantation became completely different.
-Boom!
A powerful wave of magical force spread outward from the Previous Previous Master. Simultaneously, dozens of spells materialized in the surrounding area.
All manner of magic poured down upon the rear guard. With the Sword Guardian dead, this was the will to resist with full force.
-Whoosh!
It was clearly impossible for Seo Min-jae and Lee Shin-hee to block it alone, so I assisted by using my Subspace to intercept the Previous Previous Master’s magic.
We withstood the first wave, but there was no time to catch our breath.
-Whoooosh!
The Previous Previous Master unleashed magic once more. At this moment, the best defense was immediate offense.
Han Hye charged forward. To pressure the Previous Previous Master, I had to target the rear guard.
Han Hye moved to the side, and the Dark Elf Rogue prepared to meet me. It was a formation to protect the rear.
Han Hye watched the Rogue and used Leap.
-Clang!
Perhaps because I’d already shown this move? As I swung my blade while leaping, a Subspace erected itself in front of the Previous Previous Master, and the Rogue rushed at me simultaneously.
Han Hye paused in admiration. Both the Previous Previous Master and the Rogue had reacted with remarkable speed.
More than that, the Previous Previous Master hadn’t merely focused on defense. From where the Subspace vanished, he extended his palm toward Han Hye.
There was no time to open a Subspace. The moment Han Hye sensed the fluctuation of mana, she used Leap again.
-Boom!
A beam of light shot toward where Han Hye had been standing. It was magic with a destructive power unlike anything she’d witnessed before.
‘If that had connected….’
-You would have died, or at minimum suffered a fatal wound.
Hearing Chun-bae’s words, the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
The two vanguards were formidable, but this was why the Previous Previous Master had positioned only a single Rogue in the rear guard.
Still, the tactic had its effect. While Han Hye harassed the Previous Previous Master, the Dragon Guild’s rear guard regained its footing.
Han Hye shouted.
“Target the Martial Artist when you get an opening! I’ll handle the back!”
With numerical superiority and a war of attrition, the Dragon Guild’s victory was now assured.
Of course, for that to happen, Han Hye had to harass the rear guard without sustaining critical damage. She could manage that. She had confidence.
“─────.”
It was then that the Previous Previous Master displayed an ominous expression. The moment he chanted, the mana in the vicinity vibrated like a tempest.
Dozens of luminous spheres materialized around them. Unlike before, they were no illusion.
-Pop!
Light erupted from the spheres. It wasn’t aimed at Han Hye alone. Beams curved in arcs rather than straight lines, streaking toward every member of the Dragon Guild.
Han Hye cried out internally.
‘I’ll block them with a Subspace, so…!’
The large-scale magic triggered an Emergency alert in Han Hye’s mind as she prepared to block it with a Subspace like she had before.
While not as concentrated as the attack aimed at her earlier, the power contained in this magic was formidable.
“Fall back!”
Shouting to Kim Han-chul, who stood isolated, Han Hye retreated to the rear guard with a Leap instead of attacking.
Defense took priority over offense now.
-Whoosh!
She hastily opened a Subspace, but a flat-formed Subspace couldn’t block all the curved light attacks.
Better to shield what she couldn’t see—the rear. Han Hye opened a Subspace behind them.
She then pressed Seo Min-jae and Lee Shin-hee directly against the back of the Subspace. She had to protect the weaker rear guard first.
“I will!”
Kim Han-chul, who had been retreating from his fight with the Martial Artist, rushed forward with his shield to block Seo Min-jae.
Yong-yong protected Choi Chul-gi. Even powerful magic couldn’t overcome a Red Dragon’s magic resistance.
Lee Shin-hee remained. Han Hye stood before her. She would deflect the curved beams of light, and whatever she couldn’t deflect, she’d block with her body.
First, she deployed a Wall of Inferno toward the approaching curved beams of light.
-Whoosh!
-Zing!
However, the curved beams—perhaps a trick of the Previous Previous Master—pierced through the Inferno that even burned mana. The destructive power diminished, but remained threatening.
Her Inferno level wasn’t sufficient yet, and the Previous Previous Master’s magic was simply too powerful. Lee Shin-hee’s barrier enveloping the Dragon Guild crumbled in an instant.
-Boom boom boom!
“Kra-WROOOAR!”
The thunderous crack of Kim Han-chul’s shield being struck, the wet, sickening sound of claws tearing through flesh, and the Red Dragon’s roar echoed in succession.
Han Hye clenched her teeth. If Lee Shin-hee or Seo Min-jae took a hit like that, they’d be critically wounded. The Healer especially had to be protected at all costs.
“Ugh….”
As a result, multiple puncture wounds opened across Kim Han-chul’s and Han Hye’s bodies. They’d managed to avoid the vital organs, but their arms, legs, and shoulders bore deep lacerations.
“I’m… I’m fine….”
Startled by the situation, Lee Shin-hee barely suppressed her questions and immediately activated her healing skill.
Behind Yong-yong, Choi Chul-gi grew concerned for the guild members.
“Is everyone okay! Hey!”
“We’re fine!”
“Han Chul and Hye…!”
Kim Han-chul answered cheerfully, but Seo Min-jae’s words trailed off. Multiple holes had been punctured through a human body, after all.
Yet Han Hye remained composed. Despite her injuries and weakened state, I assessed the enemy’s rear position.
They’d unleashed large-scale magic with considerable destructive power. The Previous Previous Master couldn’t have much mana remaining either.
In other words, this could be our chance to counterattack….
-Whoooosh!
But my thoughts didn’t continue long. A Subspace had opened behind the Previous Previous Master.
The Previous Previous Master was entering the Subspace.
“This crazy….”
“Could that bastard really enter it too?”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————